Defend the rights our soldiers died for -

http://www2.canada.com/northshorenews/news/viewpoint/story.html?id=a9df25e1-060d-468e-9122-616f0e816e82

Defend the rights our soldiers died for -

Elizabeth James,

North Shore News

Published: Wednesday, November 04, 2009

The Torah teaches: ‘Justice, justice, you shall pursue’

Deuteronomy 16:20

Oy vey!

Why should North Shore readers get uptight about the tribulations of a 65-year-old Montreal taxi driver who is headed to court and to the Human Rights Commission, because he refuses to pay $1,400 in municipal fines?

Fair question, especially when we discover that he has ignored not one but six fines, the first of which dates back three years or more.

He has no-one to blame but himself, right?

We should care because, time and again, we have asked our soldiers to go to war to defend the Canadian and Quebec Charter rights of citizens to enjoy freedom of expression and of religion. Specific to this story, Canadian soldiers fought, and are still fighting and dying, to protect the rights of people like Arieh Perecowicz — a Canadian of the Jewish faith — should he wish to enjoy small mementoes of his family and faith in his workplace. Nothing in either charter — documents superior to those of bureaucratic bylaws — bans anyone from doing so.

The workplace Arieh speaks of just happens to be the taxi he drives around Montreal for 15 hours of the day.

It’s a case of common-sense justice.

To set the stage:

Arieh has been driving cab in Montreal since 1966; no troubles, no passenger complaints and, so far as I can discover, no tickets.

For most of those 43 years, he has carried with him two mezuzahs — tiny parchment prayers for a safe journey common to his faith. They are fixed to the frame between the front and back seats of the cab. He also carries photos of his wife and son, a blue and white Star of David, a Remembrance Day poppy and another tiny flag — the red and white Maple Leaf. These are the symbols of everything that makes Arieh the man he was, is, and wishes to be.

He treasures the symbol of Canada — a country that prides itself on being tolerant to all; a country that professes its belief in freedom of speech and religion and that, for one day every November, honours the veterans of past and present wars by wearing the poppy in its collective lapel.

How ironic, then, that this cabbie must go before a court and a tribunal to defend those rights all over again — in a province, no less, that has cost us dearly in its own constitutional struggles to be unique above all others in Canada.

This is because 30 years along Arieh’s travels, a municipal agency, the Bureau du Taxi, was established to administer the bylaws that cover licensing and safe operation of city taxicabs — and administer they did.

One of the city bylaws states: Every driver must ensure that the interior of the taxi is clean, remove papers and litter, empty ashtrays, and leave no object or inscription that is not required for the taxi to be in service or that is not provided for in this bylaw.

The loopholes for an officer’s subjective opinion are large enough to drive a bylaw van through; but this cabbie knew his taxi and his 43-year record were clean. He had been inspected on numerous occasions by both Transport Quebec officers and Bureau inspectors and passed with flying colours.

Arieh had no reason to worry about regulations until, in December 2006, the first of the tickets arrived — less than a week after he and several other drivers appeared on television to complain that the Bureau was failing to regulate unlicensed, out-of-city cab companies. Such a coincidence.

But who among us believes in the coincidences of government?

Why is it that, for example, drivers of Greek descent who display photos of the Virgin Mary, or others who hang rosary beads near their rear view mirror have received no tickets?

Arieh is in no position to hire a lawyer. So, after his court date has been set back six months to April 2010, Arieh must now defend himself against the power of Montreal bylaw officers, who have declared he has no right to be overt in the expression of his beliefs.

As Arieh explained in a weekend radio interview with CKNW host, Roy Green, “I am not especially religious; these tokens are just the stuff most of us have on our desks or pin to the cork-boards at work because they make our world a more pleasant place.

“None of my passengers has ever complained. Not about my driving; not about the condition or safety of my cab, and certainly not about my tokens.”

So to answer the question posed at the beginning of this story: Whether or not we are “especially religious,” for the sake of our country, and to honour the soldiers who defend it, we need to care; for inasmuch as it has been done unto Arieh Perecowicz, it has been done unto us all.

This column is in honour of all who have served, and are serving, in Canadian Forces around the world to defend the values we hold dear. It is also to offer condolences to the families of the 133 Canadian soldiers who have died in Afghanistan — most recently, Lt. Justin Garrett Boyes, 26 and Sapper Steven Marshall of Princess Patricia’s Light Infantry, both of whom lost their lives to IEDs within days of their deployment in October.

Elizabeth James is a North Shore writer and editor.

 

http://www2.canada.com/northshorenews/news/viewpoint/story.html?id=a9df25e1-060d-468e-9122-616f0e816e82&p=1

http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/

http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2009/11/veterans-week-2009-and-remembrance-day.html

Veterans Affairs Canada

www.vac-acc.gc.ca

www.forces.gc.ca

http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/poster

National Defence and the Canadian Forces

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/focus/nov11/video-eng.asp

Swedish, the so-called enlightened and Liberal Europeans?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22CGlF7l5MI&feature=player_embedded

Swedish, the so-called enlightened and Liberal Europeans turning a blind eye to real human rights abusers, anti-Semitism satire clip a hit hitting Sweden’s sensitive nerve – MUST be seen!

Abba in Latma’s Studio +English Subs

Norway is following Swedens Antisemitic lead. The Norwegian governments pension fund just sold its stock in Israels Elbit defense contractor due to Elbits provision of

Probe urged into Iran jail RAPE While the WORLD is SILENCE

Probe urged into Iran jail RAPE

While the WORLD is SILENCE

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/08/200981083847122429.html

 

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8192660.stm

200 people arrested during the mass protests… several women and men were repeatedly abused by their jailers… detained girls have been sexually assaulted with brutality… Young boys held in detention have also been savagely raped… they were suffering from depression and serious physical harm after the alleged attacks… deaths of at least three people in custody… tortured to death…

Iran authorities kill 7 lawyers

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1249418544518&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Report: Iran authorities kill 7 lawyers

Seven lawyers in Tabriz and Mashhad who had been representing young Iranians detained in post-presidential election protests have been killed by the Iranian authorities in recent days… Their deaths have deterred other lawyers from taking detainees’ cases… the bodies of five lawyers were returned to their families earlier this week… The five had been representing some of the hundreds of Iranians detained in the northwestern city during the post-election protests… They were so badly beaten that their families could barely recognize their faces… were made an example of by the regime -… they were framed by the regime’s local authorities… The regime’s aim was to discourage other lawyers and activists from taking their places…

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1249418543771&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

‘Press association in Iran shut down’

 

Why Are We Silence?

“Ani Nitzachti” – TRIBUTE to Nir Katz & Liz Turbeshi

YouTube – Dana International – Nitzachti (New Version 

14 Aug 2006 

Ani Nitzachti (I Won) – New Version

Birth name	Yaron Cohen
Born	February 2, 1972 (1972-02-02) (age 37) Israel
Genre(s)	Dance, Pop, World
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals
Years active	1992 – present
Label(s)	Hed Arzi Music
Website	www.DanaInternational.co.il

Sharon Cohen (Hebrew: דנה אינטרנשיונל‎), professionally known as Dana International (born Yaron Cohen, 2 February, 1972) is an Israeli pop singer of a Yemenite Jewish, and Romanian Jewish origin.

She is most famous for having won the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest with her song “Diva.” She is arguably one of the most famous transsexual celebrities in the world. Her career began in 1992, and since then she has released eight albums and three additional compilation albums, positioning herself as one of Israel’s most successful musical acts ever.

She was born Yaron Cohen to Yemenite parents as the youngest of three children after sister Limor and brother Nimrod. Cohen was named after an uncle who had been killed during a terrorist attack. Though born biologically male, Cohen identified as a female from a very young age. Cohen wanted to become a singer ever since she was eight-years-old and saw legendary Israeli singer Ofra Haza performing her song “Chai” in the 1983 Eurovision Song Contest. Although the family was quite poor, Cohen’s mother worked to pay for Cohen’s music lessons, and she has explained that her childhood was rather happy.

Cohen came out as transsexual at the age of 13.

The first tragedy in Cohen’s life was the death of her best friend Daniel, who died in an automobile accident. Cohen asserts that Daniel had prophesied that she would someday have a successful singing career, and claims that Daniel’s prediction is what pushed her to become the singer she wanted to be.

 

Lyrics 

 

The good and the bad look quite the same,

After all the things I’ve been gone through.

 

From all the loves and all the memories,

From the way I started to the way I ended up.

 

I do not know what other people think

Of the way which I walked in,

It doesn’t matter what they say.

 

I won. I won.

 

I’ve succeeded, failed, fell and raised.

I won. I won.

I’ve succeeded, failed, fell and raised.

I won. I won.

 

The justice and the crime look quite the same,

After all the things I’ve done.

 

The same stars in night and day are above the walls I’ve built.

I do not know what other people think

On the way which I walked in, it doesn’t matter what they say.

 

I won. I won.

 

I’ve succeeded, failed, fell and raised.

I won. I won.

 

I’ve succeeded, failed, fell and raised.

 

I was the most malicious person in the world.

I did the perfect journey.

 

I want it all.

I touched it all.

 

I won. I won.

 

I’ve succeeded, failed, fell and raised.

I won. I won.

 

I won. I won.

 

I’ve succeeded, failed, fell and raised.

I won. I won.

I won.

הטוב והרע נראים לגמרי

אחרי כל הדברים שעברתי

 

מכל האהבות וכל הזיכרונות 

שגמרתי איך עד מאיך שהתחלתי

 

אחרים אני לא יודעת מה חושבים

שבה הלכתי הדרך על (כי)

לא חשוב לי מה אומרים

 

אני ניצחתי.  .ניצחתי אני

 

ניצחתי נכשלתי, נפלתי וקמתי          

אני ניצחתי.  .ניצחתי אני

 

(את) ניצחתי נכשלתי, נפלתי וקמתי              

 

הצדק והפשע נראים לגמרי

אחרי כל הדברים שעשיתי

 

כוכבים אותם ובלילה  ביום

מהחומות שבניתי

אחרים אני לא יודעת מה חושבים

שבה הלכתי הדרך על

לא חשוב לי מה אומרים

 

אני ניצחתי.  .ניצחתי אני

ניצחתי נכשלתי, נפלתי וקמתי          

אני ניצחתי.  .ניצחתי אני

 

ניצחתי נכשלתי, נפלתי וקמתי          

 

מכל האהבות וכל הזיכרונות 

שגמרתי איך עד מאיך שהתחלתי

 

אחרים אני לא יודעת מה חושבים

שבה הלכתי הדרך על

לא חשוב לי מה אומרים

 

אני ניצחתי.  .ניצחתי אני

 

ניצחתי נכשלתי, נפלתי וקמתי          

אני ניצחתי.  .ניצחתי אני

 

ניצחתי נכשלתי, נפלתי וקמתי          

 

הייתי אכי רעה בעולם

המשע המושלם עשיתי את

 

רציתי הכל

נגעתי בכל

 

אני ניצחתי.  .ניצחתי אני

ניצחתי נכשלתי, נפלתי וקמתי          

 

אני ניצחתי.  .ניצחתי אני

ניצחתי נכשלתי, נפלתי וקמתי          

אני ניצחתי.  .ניצחתי אני

 

אני ניצחתי.   

A TRIBUTE in MEMORY to Nir Katz and Liz Trubeshi

  A TRIBUTE in MEMORY

To Nir Katz and Liz Trubeshi

Murdered

 In an Israeli gay Youth- Support

Community-centre in Tel-Aviv

1 August 2009

For those who know the story behind Dana International she sings & performs about her/his personal (Ani) winning (Nizachti) against homophobia in Israel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xzVpagLjPs&feature=related

Dana International- Ani Nizachti

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVB5nFNk7xw&feature=related

Dana International – Ani Nitzachti (New Version)

 

Tribute In Memory of the Murdered Nir Katz & Liz Trubeshi

                      In Memory of the Murdered Nir Katz & Liz  Trubeshi

                                                            

                                         Gunman attacks Israeli gay

                                     community-centre in Tel-Aviv

                                      Troubled times in our society

קשה מאוד להאמין שיכולה להיות כזאת רשעות, כזאת שטנה, לגדוע חיים של בני נוער שעדיין לא טעמו את טעם החיים 

It is very hard to believe that can be such an evil, such a hate, to chop life of youth that did not yet taste the taste of life

It’s inconceivable that in the state of Israel, there are entire sectors in which the issue is taboo in their education establishments

There is NO Democracy withOUT Equality

כאן היתה שנאה, אהבה לא הורגת 

הזכות לאהוב מוקנה לכל אדם 

He was only 26… She was only 16…

‘He always walked with his head high’

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3755985,00.html

 

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3755734,00.html

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/orengutman/3783262061/

 

http://www.gay.com.br/blog/destaques/2009/08/02/nir-katz-e-liz-trubeshi-vitimas/

 

http://twitter.com/gaycombr/status/3086613012

 

http://www.members.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/JER44.htm

 

http://ukhudshanskiy.livejournal.com/315256.html

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94Myriyk7Jk

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2MbgUiyI7M&feature=channel

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEJ15pnTdmg&feature=related

 

 

780 Victims of Nigerian clashes buried in mass graves

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/08/03/nigeria.violence/index.html

780 Victims of Nigerian clashes buried in mass graves

[…] bury them as soon as possible […] bodies being exposed to northern Nigeria’s heat […] 3,600 people were displaced in the attacks […] fighting comes amid attacks by the Muslim militants […]

CANADIAN MUSLIMS fail to denounce recent terrorist attacks

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Deathly+silence+over+jihad/1847101/story.html

Deathly silence over jihad 

CANADIAN MUSLIMS fail to denounce recent terrorist attacks

By TAREK FATAH, Freelance July 31, 2009

Some Islamic scholars teach the concept of holy war.

[...] Some Canadian media ensure jihad is never mentioned in the same sentence as a terrorist attack [...] and the ideology and theology that require Muslims to wage [...]

The Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC) is Deathly Silence over Jihad while: Jihadi Islamists carried out a terrorist attacks in Indonesia, causing many casualties, the Muslim-dominated parts of northern Nigeria, where more than 200 people have been killed, and killed & maimed dozens of Muslims in Jakarta.

‘He always walked with his head high’

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1249223903719&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

 

Vigil for TA attack held in Jerusalem

[…]Solidarity with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) after two people were killed and more than a dozen injured on Saturday night […] people congregating to honor the dead […] a horrible reminder of the serious threats to the democratic spectrum of liberties. Again we learn that no man is an island and no place is a safe bubble. We will not ask for whom the alarm bell tolls today – it tolls for all of us.” […]

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1248277951874&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

‘He always walked with his head high’

Nir Katz, the 26-year-old counselor killed in Saturday’s shooting attack in a Tel Aviv gay community center, had recently completed his army service as a career officer and had started computer studies at the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center. He had been serving as a counselor at the center for several years and was there every Saturday to help teenagers come to terms with their sexual identity.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/Page/VideoPlayer&cid=1194419829128&videoId=1249223903714

Gay community leader Noa Raz: Some family members leaned about children’s sexual identity from TV

Gay community leader Noa Raz: Some family members leaned about children’s sexual identity from TV

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1248277947570&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Hunt still on for TA gay center shooter

[…] The two fatalities were named later as 26-year-old counselor Nir Katz, from Givatayim, and Liz Turbeshi, 17, from Holon.  Their bodies were found in the center by paramedics [...] […] “Today, someone sent a message that gays in Tel Aviv and Israel are not safe” […]

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1194419829128&pagename=JPost%2FPage%2FVideoPlayer&videoId=1249223903707

• Tel Aviv resident: Shooter was the same as a Hamas terrorist

 

Gunman attacks Israeli gay community-centre

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/08/01/israel.club.shooting/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8180080.stm

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8180127.stm

Gunman attacks Israeli gay community-centre

2 dead, 11 hurt in shooting

at gay club in Israel

A lone gunman has killed two people and wounded at least 10 at a gay support centre in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv before escaping.

Most of the victims were gay teenagers, who were meeting at the centre on Nachmani street when the gunman entered and started firing indiscriminately.

The black-clad man is still at large and police have ordered the temporary closure of all gay clubs in the city.

 

Embedded video from CNN Video

Remembering Neda 40 days later:

Remembering Neda 40 days later:

 

Neda honored at Iran memorial

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pohCrHD-n4&feature=player_embedded

http://niacblog.wordpress.com/2009/07/30/first-videos-emerge-of-behesht-e-zahra/

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwmEgOYX6vE&feature=player_embedded

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKSE8TtjtJM&feature=player_embedded

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8176946.stm

 

Mother’s tribute to shot Iranian woman

 

“I was worried about her being out there in the crowd”

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8176053.stm

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8176053.stm

 

The man who tried to save Neda

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8119658.stm

 

‘She died in less than a minute’

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8119741.stm

Come Clean 4 Congo

ENOUGH 

Come Clean 4 Congo

Is your cell phone fueling a war?

We need your help. A deadly war is raging in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and our insatiable demand for electronics products such as cell phones and laptops is helping drive that conflict [...] 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnCEfMqvHzE

 

 

Actors Come Clean For Congo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q55DJIclsnM&feature=channel

 

 

Iran releases 140 prisoners

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8173113.stm

 

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1248277913031&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

 

Iran releases 140 prisoners

Post-election Demonstrators

A call for supporters to attend                             

 a “silent memorial” ceremony

Thursday, 30 July,

for those killed in the crackdown.

 

About 140 Iranians detained during protests against last month’s disputed election result have been released from Evin prison, officials say.

About 200 others, accused of more serious crimes, remain in the prison.

The unusual moves show how much pressure Iran’s leaders are under over detainees[…]

Where You Live Should NOT determine whether You LIVE

Global protests staged over post-election crackdown in Iran

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/07/25/iran.world.protests/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/07/25/iran.world.protests/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

The global day of action that spanned about 100 cities Protesters across six continents solidarity with the people inside Iran

Embedded video from CNN Video

Embedded video from CNN Video

Embedded video from CNN Video

Embedded video from CNN Video

The Silent Genocide Congo Sudan Darfur Rwanda Chaos

forcing children to fight in Congo war

Forcing children to fight in Congo war

Embedded video from CNN Video 

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/01/26/congo.hague.trial/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

‘Mama Africa’ and Congo’s orphans of war

Embedded video from CNN Video

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/05/12/icrc.drc.congo.red.cross/index.html#cnnSTCVideo